Framing War: The 9/11-Iraq Link and Public Support for the Iraq War
Presentation
Overview
Overview
Description
Foreign policy decision making involves political elites promoting a preferred policy position to the general population for acceptance or rejection. Popular acceptance of a policy is not required for a government to proceed with implementation, but when the policy involves military incursions the need for popular support increases. This article examines why the Bush Administration found a receptive audience to its public sale of the Iraq War. We do this by using prospect theory–a model of decision-making that suggests people are inclined to escalate risks to avoid or recover losses. Losses incurred as a result of the 9/11 terrorist attacks provided fertile material for the administration as they sought to link Saddam Hussein to terrorism and 9/11 in order to justify the need for an offensive war with Iraq. This 9/11-Iraq link is important understanding why the American public was ultimately receptive to the proposition of war with Iraq.
